The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video on Saturday featuring Israeli captive Liri Elbag, 19, expressing frustration over her continued detention since October 7, 2023.
In the footage, Elbag accused the Israeli government and military of “manipulating the fate of hostages.”
In the video, she revealed that another captive had sustained severe injuries due to ongoing Israeli military operations, emphasizing that the captives’ release hinges on the withdrawal of Israeli forces. She lamented that prisoners are “not a priority for the government or the army.”
Addressing the Israeli government, she criticized the reliance on military operations to free captives, stating, “This will not work, and you know it. It’s insane to believe that this method will achieve results.”
Elbag described her experience as a “terrifying nightmare,” adding, “After witnessing death firsthand and what happened to my friend, I realized that our lives don’t matter to you (Israeli leaders). I understood that we are just pawns in your hands. This chaotic pursuit we’re enduring is abnormal and inhumane.”
She concluded her message by speaking directly to Israeli settlers, “If anything happens to me, let it be written on my grave that it was all because of the government and the army.”
Israeli police arrest protesters demanding captives release
The Israeli police arrested four protesters near the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in occupied al-Quds during a demonstration supporting a prisoner swap deal with Palestinian resistance groups.
Dozens of families of prisoners gathered outside the residence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, urging him to pressure the government and its leader to finalize the exchange agreement.
Protests spread across more than 70 locations in occupied Palestine, from the north to the south, following a call by the Hostages’ Families Committee to participate in evening demonstrations. The committee stressed the importance of “accelerating the completion of the prisoner exchange deal, especially as talks in Doha continue.”
The main demonstrations took place in Tel Aviv, occupied al-Quds, and Haifa. In Tel Aviv, large-scale protests blocked the road leading to the Ministry of Security.
Additionally, sit-ins were held outside the residences of Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee Chair Yuli Edelstein in Herzliya and Education Minister Yoav Kisch in Hod Hasharon.
The Israeli Hostages’ Families Committee accused Netanyahu of indifference to the prisoners’ plight, stating, “He does not want the war to end and is running a campaign to prolong it.”